Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Culture and Information: Hajj is the largest peaceful global gathering

Jeddah – August 30, 2017: The Hejaz valley in Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and the most celebrated place on earth. For centuries, millions of Muslims have converged in Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage – the world’s largest peaceful global gathering. More than 80 different nationalities unite in one kingdom. This year Saudi Arabia welcomes more than 1.8 million from across the world. While Hajj lasts one week, the country plans and prepares year-round to put in place the logistics needed to host this truly astounding congregation gathering that is 46 times the average crowd per game at the 2014 World Cup and 5 times the number of foreign travellers to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero.